EasyJet cancels 98 flights in France as cabin crew complain of 60 roster changes a week

The short version

• At least 98 flights were cancelled, 47 on Saturday and 51 on Sunday, hitting about half of the scheduled services at the two Paris airports and in Nice, Bordeaux and Lyon.
• More than half of the roughly 900 cabin staff in France took part, and 68 percent of the 340 rostered for the weekend intended to strike.
• The dispute is about planning, with individual crew members facing 50 to 60 changes to their duties each week.

EasyJet cancelled around 100 flights to and from France over the weekend. The reason was a cabin crew strike. According to the union SNPNC FO at least 98 services were dropped, 47 on Saturday and 51 on Sunday.

By the unions' count, about half of the scheduled flights at the two Paris airports and in Nice, Bordeaux and Lyon were affected. On the airline's website many services could no longer be booked on Saturday.

The airline said passengers had been informed and could rebook onto other flights free of charge. That means no new ticket costs for travellers.

More than half of the 900 staff joined in

According to William Bourdon of the union SNPNC FO, more than half of the roughly 900 cabin staff in France took part in the strike. Of the roughly 340 flight attendants due to work on flights to and from France that weekend, 68 percent intended to strike.

That scale explains why the disruption was not limited to individual flights but hit a wider network. Staffing became tight in several time windows at once, so the gaps could only be partly closed by reassignments.

The rosters are the sticking point

The trigger is not pay but planning. Staff complain that their duty rosters are repeatedly changed at short notice.

Bourdon says individual crew members have to expect 50 to 60 changes to their working hours and destinations each week. Most changes came only one or two days in advance. That makes private life extremely hard to organise. Staff want stable rosters.

Three unions involved in the talks had announced strikes between 7 August and 2 September. The weekend walkout is therefore not necessarily the last.

The airline calls the timing opportunistic

EasyJet described the action in a statement as opportunistic because it fell on a busy holiday weekend around 15 August. The company called on the unions to drop it.

At the same time the airline said it had put forward proposals to address the demands and pointed to negotiations planned for September.

An earlier strike call at the French subsidiary on Easter Monday in April had very little effect on operations. UNAC, the union behind that call, accused management of using special bonuses of 600 to 700 euros for staff who agreed to work that day.

France is a core market

Measured by passenger numbers, EasyJet is the second largest airline in France after Air France. The country is one of the airline's most important markets on the European mainland. The bases of the European subsidiary include Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Nice and both Paris airports.

The news comes at a time when the ownership side is also in motion. The investor Castlelake ended its takeover talks and withdrew its offer, four weeks after Apollo had announced 7.15 British pounds per share. The stock fell sharply in response.

For travellers the situation stays uncertain over the coming weeks. Anyone flying to or from France up to early September should keep an eye on the status of their own service, because the announced strike period is still running.

Frequently asked questions

How many EasyJet flights were cancelled

According to the union SNPNC FO at least 98 services to and from France were cancelled, 47 on Saturday and 51 on Sunday. That was about half of the scheduled flights at the two Paris airports and in Nice, Bordeaux and Lyon.

Why are EasyJet cabin crew on strike

The dispute is not about pay but about rosters. Union figures say individual crew members face 50 to 60 changes to their working hours and destinations every week, most of them one or two days in advance. Staff are asking for stable duty planning.

What are affected passengers entitled to

EasyJet said passengers had been informed and could rebook onto other flights free of charge, so travellers face no new ticket costs. Anyone flying to or from France up to early September should check the status of their own service.

How much longer can the strike last

Three unions involved in the talks have announced strikes between 7 August and 2 September. The weekend walkout is therefore not necessarily the last. EasyJet has put forward proposals and points to negotiations planned for September.

This analysis is for information only and is not investment advice.